Cleaning the M questions

BigTone · Feb 3, 2012

Getting ready to begin the long task of cleaning up my M and I have a few questions:
1. I hear people talk about "wire brushing," are you all talking about a cup brush for a angle grinder or a small wire brush with a 1/4" shank for a hand grinder or a hand wire brush or all or the above? Any techniques you have found helpful?

2. What chemicals should I get to remove wax, grease and everything else that is on those tractors? is there stuff that is environmentally friendly because im doing it in the barn and dont want to get chemicals in the ground.

3. Any tips to make the job easier? I dont mind learning on my own but any tips would be appreciated!

As always thanks for the help!

MikeinKy · Feb 3, 2012

Get ready to expend a lot of elbow grease. I start out with a pressure washer. Then I put newspapers under it and soak it in oven cleaner for a couple of days. While it is soaking, I take off parts that are in the way of painting or cleaning, I sand blast the removed parts if they are in rough condition. I use a cup brush in an angle grinder, a hand steel brush, putty knife, anything that will remove dirt and grease. Don't sandblast the assembled tractor, don't get oven cleaner on anything you don't want to paint, it will remove or discolor the original paint. After the oven cleaner soaks awhile, it needs to be pressure washed 1 or 2 more times. Be sure all cleaner is removed or your new paint won't stick.

Andrew Z · Feb 3, 2012

Purple Power works great, environmentally friendly, cost around 5-8 bucks for a one gallon jug, you will need 2 gallons for a real dirty machine. Scrub heavy soiled areas with a brush, wash off.

Andrew

Yooper Farmall · Feb 3, 2012

Last weekend I cleaned up the front cast iron centers with a pneumatic grinder and a wire wheel. Worked very well, the rust and old flacky paint just flew off, went much faster than sandblasting did. I used a decent sized compressor and found I had a little more grinding torque with a 2" wire wheel than a 3" but both worked. I got the front centers and front rims painted. This weekend I"m going to wire wheel the front pedestal and paint it, then I am going to try a cup brush on my angle grinder on the read cast iron centers.

Dalex · Feb 3, 2012

I just did a block in a Super "A" with cheap Walmart oven cleaner, it worked great !! Wash off with a high pressure washer or just a garden hose w/ hi press nozzel , and you are ready to paint ! Won't do much for rust, great on paint, grease and crud.

sflem849 · Feb 3, 2012

The first style of wire brush in Yooper's pictures is REALLY good at embedding wires into your shirt/coat/skin.

CoopertownBob · Feb 3, 2012

I use two sizes of cup brushes on an angle grinder (large and small). For really stubborn areas, I will scrape with a scraper or even a screw driver if need be. I also wash with lye soap afterward to remove rest of paint and grease residue. Badly caked parts that I can remove I drop them into a lye solution to soak until they come out clean. Mix one pound lye crystals/powder into 5 gallons hot water and toss the parts in. Come back tomorrow and they are usually done unless really bad. I soaked a cylinder head once for a month before it finally came out clean as when it was new. Took out all the carbon, grease, sludge and paint, and even the crud in the cooling passages as well. Lye is the active ingredient in most oven cleaners as well, which is why they work so well. if you cannot find straight lye, (try hardware stores), then Drain-O crystals are the same thing in a prettier can.

Andrew Z · Feb 3, 2012

Bob,

could you shoot me an email i have a couple of questions for you thanks

Andrew

Eastsider · Feb 3, 2012

My son and I use a lot of wire wheel grinding...a cup brush on an angle grinder, or if I can maneuver it better, I use a stand up 3/4 horse grinder with a wire wheel on it. The pictures are some showing what you can do with it. After cleaning them, I degrease etc... with brake cleaner...it removes the residue and evaporates very nicely. Remember to use the protective gear!!!

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sflem849 · Feb 3, 2012

Look at the corners of the casting (like right above where the axle comes out in the first picture) See how they are shiney from the wire brush? Does that effect how the paint sticks.

F-Dean · Feb 3, 2012

Cheap/generic oven cleaner ($1 per can) followed by power washing works well if grease is the thickest coating.

Mark-Ia · Feb 3, 2012

Make sure the wire cup you are using is the knotted wire type as in Yoopers picture. The straight wire ones throw too much wire at you.

Yooper Farmall · Feb 3, 2012

Good point, wear eye protection! Chunks of wire were periodically bouncing off my goggles and yes I had wires that went through my clothing and stuck in my skin. The braided looks stronger, I used the straight wire wheels to get corners, nooks and crannies.

Yooper Farmall · Feb 3, 2012

You are right, by the time I was half way through I looked like a porcupine! I think the Chinese were on to something with acupuncture, after I finished grinding the cast iron I felt GREAT!

W.Brehm · Feb 3, 2012

If there's someone local who has sandblasting equipment you can go that route. Make the job easier. The guy who's doing my tractor has 30 years experience and never encounter getting sand in those unwanted areas. He told me where people run into problems like that, "they don't have the proper equipment, like compressor, pot, etc.."

Nebraska Cowman · Feb 3, 2012

water is environmentally friendly. I used to use Simple Green through a blow gun until I breathed too much of it. I don't do that any more.

Jason the Red · Feb 3, 2012

If you use a pressure washer, mind how much you use around gaskets and seals. I blew out the axle housing gasket on my H and leaked out about four gallons of fluid all over the floor.

gab · Feb 3, 2012

Swing by farm and fleet and get a gallon of purple power or super purple and stiff brush to work it into the grease,use a spray bottle. Then you need a cup brush for your angle grinder and a few assorted brushes for your drill. The main thing to get while your there is one of those clear face shields because you're gonna get hit in the face with a cup brush wire and bleed, been there, got the scar under my right eyebrow, ain't taking the chance again.

GordoSD · Feb 4, 2012

I wouldn't recommend that aie drivrn die grinder. That baby turns at a gazillion rpms. Not for wire wheels.Check the rpm limit on the wheels and tyhe RPM of the grinder.

Eastsider · Feb 4, 2012

Nope...after rinsing it with brake cleaner it is a great surface to stick paint to.

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